Max Sperling

Max Sperling (4 September 1905-6 June 1984) was a highly-decorated Colonel of the Wehrmacht of Nazi Germany during World War II.

Biography
Max Sperling was born on 4 September 1905 in Kulm in the German Empire (present-day Poland) to a German family. He became an Oberst (Colonel) of the Wehrmacht of Nazi Germany, having joined the army in 1924. He served in the invasions of Poland, France, Greece, Yugoslavia, and the Soviet Union and fought as a tank commander in the Battle of Kursk in 1943. Sperling was later promoted to become the commander of the 9th Panzer Division, and fought in the campaign in Normandy in France. His division defended the Foret d'Ecouves from American and French attack on 11 August, holding out for many days before being forced out. The Falaise Gap campaign was his last, and he was captured in 1945. He served in the Bundeswehr until 1964, and retired with the rank of Oberst.